Novel insights into seed priming for tomato plants: restoring root vitality in the face of salt stress

The current knowledge base lacks insights into impact seed priming on root activity under salt stress. This gap highlights the need for a thorough investigation, given its potential importance in enhancing crop resilience in saline conditions. This study aimed to explore the beneficial effects of seed priming on both main and lateral roots of tomato plants subjected to salt stress.

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted at the Tokyo University of Agriculture, employing a factorial completely randomized design. This design included two sodium chloride concentrations (100 mM and 200 mM) and three seed priming treatments (PEG6000: –1.2 MPa, 0.75% KNO₃, and 200 mM NaCl).

Findings revealed that seed priming, especially with PEG6000, significantly impacted tomato root growth under salt stress. Seed priming increased the potassium ion concentration in roots while sodium ions concentration was decreased. Furthermore, seed priming reduced malondialdehyde, proline, and hydrogen peroxide in tomato roots under salt stress.

The research emphasizes the potential of seed priming, particularly with PEG6000, in improving tomato crop resilience in saline environments. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing agricultural practices to mitigate the impact of salt stress on tomato plants.